The much anticipated grand opening of China’s tallest tower, Canton Tower, was held today, ahead of the opening of the Asian Games in mid November.
Arup provided total engineering services to help Information Based Architecture to realise this highly unusual structure.
“To make the city realise this symbol of excellence has given the whole design team extreme pride. The tower not only embodies the excitement of Guangzhou’s urban development but also marks an engineering triumph which firmly puts the city on the international map. LM Lui, Arup’s East Asia Chairman
The 600m tower has a tapering silhouette with a waist only about 22m wide at its narrowest, created by the top and bottom of the structure twisting 45° relative to eachother. Using parametric associative software, Arup's structural engineers generated geometric and structural models and linked this data to analytical and drafting software.
The result is a structure that is both simple and complex – a concrete core wrapped in a triangular lattice comprising structural steel, concrete-filled columns, rings and diagonal tubes.
Five miniature buildings are suspended throughout the building, and cathedral-like open-air spaces offer stunning 360° views. Visitors can experience the sheer height of the tower through different altitudes and an open-air ‘SkyWalk’ staircase wrapped around the central concrete core.
As a super-tall tower that allows wind to blow through it, Arup’s wind engineers were particularly concerned with Guangzhou’s typhoon climate. Using cutting-edge performance-based engineering, the firm produced a special set of design criteria to ensure the tower would withstand typhoon winds and provide optimum comfort for building occupants.
Designed as the city’s new icon, the tower will spread the message of Guangzhou’s latest development by welcoming visitors from around the world, and broadcasting the Asian Games and other events globally.